While US Maneuvers Towards Cuba – Cubans Turn to Russia

Context

Russia will vote in favor of the UN General Assembly draft resolution presented by Cuba to lift US trade and economic blockade of the island. Valentina Matviyenko, Chairman of the Federation Council announced this in a meeting with the Cuba's Deputy Prime Minister Ricardo Cabrisas last Thursday in Moscow. Russia's Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin also spoke Thursday about future plans of cooperation. According to him, Russia plans to establish centers for the calibration of the GLONASS signal in Cuba as well as to carry out experiments in space medicine together with the Cuban scientists. In his turn, Ricardo Cabrisas assured his counterparts that Havana is not going to diverge its revolutionary path and "will never depend neither politically nor economically on the United States."

"Without a doubt, on October 27, at the United Nations General Assembly Russia will vote for the Cuban draft resolution on lifting of the trade and economic embargo imposed by the United States,” Valentina Matvienko said. The Federation Council Speaker also stressed that Russia is not only supporting the draft resolution, but is also leading a dialogue with other national delegations on the subject. The remarkable thing is that such resolution have become a tradition at the sessions of the UN General Assembly. Only the US and Israel have been voting against it. Now, according to several US media sources familiar with the situation, the United States can abstain for the first time.

Ricardo Cabrisas thanked Russia for its support of the Cuban struggle against the embargo. He also shared his vision of the process of normalizing relations between Havana and Washington. According to him, Cuba "didn't relinquish a single principle of the revolutionary process" during the negotiations with the US. The politician also added, that "regardless of the restart of relations, Cuba will never depend on the United States neither politically nor economically." "American goal remains the same — to overthrow the Cuban revolution, and we are aware of this. We accept the challenge, " Deputy Prime Minister Cabrisas said. He stated that the full normalization of relations between the United States and Cuba can't be possible, "until political issues are resolved." The question, according to him, is the lifting of the trade embargo, the relinquishment of US military occupation of Guantanamo and the ending of its subversive activity inside the country."

During the meeting Valentina Matviyenko described a plan, published on 19 October, to provide a €1,2 billion loan to Cuba to finance construction of four power units as "the biggest bilateral project for the past 25 years." It is to be recalled that, according to PM Dmitry Medvedev's decree, the saved fuel will be transferred to the Russian side, which, in its turn, will sell it to repay the loan. "In fact, signing of these documents, opens a new era in our economic and investment cooperation, which can become an example to follow for both our countries for years to come," Valentina Matviyenko commented on the decisions made. She noted that the cooperation can be developed in the fields of aviation, defense, engineering, medicine, and pharmacy.

Last Thursday Deputy PM Dmitry Rogozin was talking about the present and future of Russia-Cuban bilateral relations. "Ricardo Cabrisas arrived in Moscow for a reason. Russia is returning to Cuba with its industry and technology, " he wrote in his Twitter account. "We are planning with our Cuban friends to discuss the establishment in Cuba of the center calibration of the GLONASS signal,” said Rogozin yesterday. “It's very important for us. You know that the United States does not want to place GLONASS stations on its territory and Cuba is not against it." Dmitry Rogozin stressed that for Russia it actually means enhancing the accuracy of global signal of domestic navigation system. Deputy Prime Minister also said that a next meeting of the Russian-Cuban intergovernmental commission will be held in Havana by the end of this year.

Ricardo Cabrisas also stressed on Thursday, that Cuba is satisfied with the current level of economic and trade relations with Russia. He noted that the relations between Moscow and Havana are becoming increasingly productive.